Garinor decided that the recent events left him feeling frantic and underfed. He opted to remain at the farm for a little while in order to gather his strength and then to continue seeking out the king. Also, if Lorrel was as helpful as his parents, then he might also gain some information and direction.
“Thank you. If it’s really no trouble, I think I’d like to remain here a short while.”
“Of course, dear,” Herria crooned. “No trouble at all.”
Soon after that, the father left to carry out his morning routine on the farm. Herria posted Garinor outside on the side of the house, where a low fence marked off a large open area. She told him to sit very still because she would release the dogs soon, but that he would likely enjoy what happened after that.
With a call to the dogs, Herria threw open the front door and out they flew, racing low to the ground. They darted right past Garinor, not even noticing him, and sprinted off into the distance. He could hear barking and then a low rumbling thunder.
From behind the house, where he couldn’t quite see, there appeared a cow. Then another, and another, then dozens more of them. Over a hundred cows piled into the fenced-off area, chased by the dogs who seemed to really enjoy their work. They nipped and growled at the cows until all were in the corral. After that, the dogs retreated into the house and the terrified cows calmed down and dazedly started eating at the grass underfoot.
“There isn’t a better pasture on our land,” Herria said later. “The one they like best now belongs to our neighbor after a bad night of bartering last winter.” She sighed away a sense of frustration and continued. “So it’s not the ideal place for them during the day, but it works for now.”
Garinor smiled and accepted her following offer of a short tour around the farm. There wasn’t all that much to see, but she introduced him to the two horses in the barn and showed him the chicken coop. Along the road, she said, he would find a massive wheat field and the main road would lead him to Teltiar as long as he was attentive and didn’t veer off onto a side path.
Behind the house, she showed him the main garden, where she grew row upon row of vegetables, telling him this was her pride and joy and she had saved it for last because she was thrilled to have someone to show it off to. She told stories about winning prizes in annual fairs in Teltiar for her amazing sweet potatoes and delectable yellow squash. A pumpkin patch was pointed out to him and she commented that he wouldn’t see anything growing there at the moment because it was spring. She had a funny little titter when she spoke of her garden and it kept making Garinor grin. She was excited about her vegetables!
The late afternoon sun felt particularly hot to him that day, so he joined Herria inside the house to start preparing dinner. Garinor’s task was mostly squeezing fruit for juice. Raspberries, cherries, and strawberries were all squashed one after another and the pulp was strained through a wire screen. It was laborious, but he felt better helping out these nice people.
As the sun sank lower in the sky, a new sound echoed from outside. Herria peered out a window and shook her head. “Lorrel is home.” She stepped out of the kitchen and walked toward the door to greet her son when he came inside.
Garinor kept working on the juice and didn’t pay attention to much else. He heard the door open and Herria gave her son a welcoming hug. He heard Lorrel say, “Hello, Mother. You look well. I’m not alone tonight, I’m afraid.”
“Yes dear, I know. I have eyes and I saw them, even if you did send them scampering away. Come, we have a guest.”
Garinor froze in place. There was a group of them? His mind raced frantically, but Herria and Malikar were too kind to have a son involved with the hunters who were after him. Weren’t they?
His worst fears were realized when Lorrel walked into the room with a polite expression on his face, but the easiness in his stride turned instantly to a forced stance. He lashed out his hand and pushed his mother away. “You fiend!”
“What is this, Lorrel?” said the mother angrily. “Leave the boy be.”
“No, Mother, we’ve been searching for this one. Plot against the king, but this traitorous scum will not carry out his vile plans.”
“Nonsense!” called Herria. She grabbed her son’s arm and pulled him about. Garinor took his chance and he lurched ahead, past the two of them, and out the door.
“Come back, heathen!” Lorrel screamed, abruptly tugging himself out of his mother’s grasp.
“Lorrel, stop this nonsense!”
“He runs because he’s guilty, Mother, see? I must catch him.” And he ran off and out the door.
Garinor raced as swiftly as he could manage. His arms pumped furiously by his sides and he sincerely hoped that Lorrel had nothing to throw at him. He couldn’t possibly dodge aside.
He didn’t know where he was going, but he fumbled along, trying desperately to find some way to escape. He turned toward the fringe of forest, thinking he might be able to skirt around the trees and lose the hunter, but he was sorely mistaken. Instead of escaping Lorrel, he ran smack into someone else.
As she fell, she sprang into action like a seasoned warrior. The woman lashed out with one hand, grabbed Garinor’s hair, and yanked him down with her. She bounded over him and pinned him while Lorrel ran forward and called out, “It’s him! It’s him!”
That decided things for the huntress. Her dagger left its sheath and ran a deep line along Garinor’s throat. It didn’t take long at all for him to die.